Summer is one of the best times of year to get out and enjoy the weather, but its also one of the hardest times of year to keep energy bills down. Thankfully, there are many different tricks and tips you can use to do just that. The following ideas are designed to be easy to do, while still having maximum impact on your budget. This way, you can still get out there and enjoy everything that summer has to offer, while staying cool indoors for less.
1. Keep Your HVAC Working at Its Best
Your HVAC system is your first line of defense against the heat, and it doesnt need much to operate at peak efficiency. Make sure that it stays clean and that you change the filter monthly. A clogged filter will make your system work harder to pull air through, while a dirty interior can cause the system to freeze, which will give you inconsistent temperatures. Simply swapping out the filter before it gets too dirty can make a big difference to your systems efficiency and your bills.
2. Utilize Fans
Ceiling fans dont really impact the air temperature, but they do make the room more comfortable for the occupants. When you run the ceiling fan, you can set your thermostat about 4 degrees higher than you would otherwise, and remain just as comfortable. You save the difference, because the fan uses a fraction of the energy as your AC.
3. Get Better Control with a New Thermostat
Smart thermostats give you better control over the temperature of the home by letting you shut it off or turn it back on from afar. Get one with a geofencing option and it will even shut itself off if you forget as soon as you get out of range. This can save you a significant amount of money if your summer schedule is a bit unpredictable.
4. Keep Out the Sun
The suns rays beaming through your windows can quickly heat up your interior. Use light blocking or thermal curtains to keep the sun out at peak times of day. This will help prevent your interior from heating up, which means that you wont use as much energy to cool it back down.
5. Create Some Shade
If youre thinking of upgrading your landscaping, you can also make your home more comfortable in the summer months by planting some shade trees and shrubs. Think about the areas the sun is most likely to enter your home, and plant shrubs that can block this to stay cooler longer.
6. Cool Your Attic
Heat rises, which means that it can become trapped in your attic. The sun is also heating your attic from above, which can make the entire space superheated. Superheated air can now transfer back down through your ceilings into your living space, making your HVAC system work harder to cool the space. Use attic fans and vents to help move out the superheated air before it can enter your living space.
7. Cool Strategically
If the temperatures drop at night, make the most of this and open your windows as soon as the temperature drops to cool your home naturally. Button things back up again as soon as the sun comes up in the morning to hold onto that cool.
8. Cook Out
Using the oven or stove top in your home during the summer months could be heating up your kitchen. In turn, this means that your HVAC needs to work harder to cool it back down. Instead, try heating up the grill outside instead. Your home will stay cooler and your bills will be lower.
9. Pay Attention to Your Lights
Unless youve already switched over all the bulbs in your home to LED, you could be wasting energy and heating up your interiors at the same time. Older lights produce heat as well as light, so theyre warming your home. LED lights use less energy and they stay cool, so your home stays cooler, too.
10. Rearrange Your Electronics
If your thermostat is located near the TV, clothes dryer, or home computer, it might think your home is hotter than it is. Appliances and electronics that give off heat could be tricking your thermostat, causing it to turn the AC on too often. Try rearranging your electronics to help.
11. Cancel the Drying Cycle
Your dishwasher needs hot water to sterilize your dishes, but it doesnt necessarily need to heat dry them. Skip the heat drying cycle and let your dishes air dry instead. Not only will you save the energy from the dishwasher itself, youll also avoid heating up the kitchen.
Stay Cool This Summer
Its possible to stay cool this summer and save energy at the same time. Just follow these tips, and get more out of your summer fun.